BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A 35-year-old man who worked at an elementary school and a daycare in Merritt Island was arrested on child porn charges, according to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said James Cohen worked as an instructional assistant with special needs students at Tropical Elementary School and with young children at KinderCare.
“When I say disturbing, I mean extremely disturbing. Sickening, disgusting, any other word that you can apply The word evil and concerning would tie into this,” Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said in a Facebook live video.
Ivey made the announcement on Wednesday during a livestreamed event but did not invite journalists. He said the investigation began on Jan. 24 when the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children sent the sheriff’s office a cyber tip about an IP address in the Brevard County area.
Ivey said the delay in the investigation was because it took the internet provider from Jan. 24 until May 15 to return the information needed to make an arrest.
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Once the information was obtained, investigators were able to quickly identify Cohen as the individual with the person who had control of the IP address.
“In my 42 years of law enforcement, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything as disturbing as the videos that we have recovered as part of this case,” Ivey said.
According to the sheriff, Cohen admitted last Thursday to downloading and viewing videos and images of child porn.
Investigators seized two laptops, a camera, five cell phones and two tablets as part of their investigation. Ivey said deputies found 170 videos on one device with victims as young as babies, “and in some cases even appear to be newborns.”
According to the sheriff, there is nothing to indicate that Cohen was producing the videos but said the investigation is still in its early phases.
“James Cohen prior had no criminal history of any significance,” Ivey said. “He only had a driving charge.”
“At KinderCare, nothing is more important to us than children’s safety. We take all concerns about the quality of our programs and our teachers seriously. As such, this teacher is no longer a KinderCare employee.”
KinderCare Communications Team
Cohen faces charges of 10 counts of possession of material depicting sexual performance of a child. Ivey said while there 170 videos, they picked the 10 worst so they could send the case to the state attorney’s office and “secure him behind bars.”
According to Ivey, Cohen is being held without bond and more charges are forthcoming.
“Our agents will continue to write the affidavits and add charges to him as we develop more charges,” he said.
The Brevard County School Board suspended Cohen and immediately removed him from the KinderCare facility upon learning about the investigation.
Deputies said if anyone has any concerns about Cohen or feel they have been hurt by him, they are asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 321-633-8400.
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